Christmas 2010 Part 1: Adventure to NY

We certainly didn't expect to take a 2nd trip to GTMO, but anticipating another forgiving work schedule for Danno during the holiday, it turned out to be another great time to go. Hoping to beat the holiday rush, we geared up for a Space A flight out from Okinawa early Dec and we expected to hang around CA until it was time to see Danno mid month (assuming we make it to CA). It took several attempts to leave Oki since flights were already filling up, if not canceled. So without hesitation we grabbed anything heading CONUS (Continental US). We hopped onto an 8 hr flight to Alaska, where Leyna got her first sight of real snow!...then continued onto a 6 hr flight landing in New York. Here's a few shots along the journey.

...our transportation...

...Leyna waking up to Alaska's snow, making new friends n having fun with activity tables, and admiring the impressive bear displays in the terminal...

Although it was overall a smoother flight plan than our first Space A experience (when we got stuck in Guam for several days), it was the worst circumstances to land where and when we did. We arrived in NY at midnight, during a cold snap, and landing at a particular air station that lacked facilities and had no support. The most they do is bus us to a small building nearby, unload our luggage at the curb, close the building, and we must walk a quarter mile to the base front gate to grab a taxi. So we had to tough the piercing 10 degree wind chill on a poorly lit road to the front gate (the only thing remotely walking distance). Nothing short of miserable for myself, and 4 other mothers with several infants and young children. Strollers, luggage, car seats dragging behind us while struggling to protect kids from the cold, as you can imagine, it was ugly. Eventually a kind Security Forces guy went beyond his duty and came to the rescue, made many rounds in his truck to get us little by little to the warm gate guard stand where we could wait inside for taxis.

Our entourage of women and children regrouped at the nearest 24hr diner to linger for 5 hours until the international airport opened. We parted ways, most continuing on commercial flights, while Leyna and I got picked up by relatives. So after an adventure like that, instead of making our way to the West Coast and back East again to Cuba, we decided to stick around NY and endure the cold for 2 weeks and stay with our relatives. We're so thankful to have family in so many places!